Stoker



Feb. 6, 1934. E. A. TURNER sToKER Filed sept. 9, 1931 INVENTOR.

" (MM/L Patented Feb. 6, 1934 UNITED STATES PTNT OFHVCE STOKEB.

Application September 9, 1931. Serial No. 561,825

8 Claims.

My present invention relates to stokers and has for its main object the provision of an oscillatable fuel lifter acting between a source of fuel supply and a distributing means to raise fuel from the former forwardly and upwardly onto the latter.

Other and more specific objects residing in the individual parts and their relation with one another will be apparent from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section through adjacent portions of a locomotive and its tender with the stoker of this invention mounted thereon, some parts being broken away; and

Figure 2 is a sectional View taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

On the drawing the locomotive is indicated at A and the tender at B. 10 represents the locomotive rebox; 11 the backhead thereof; 12 the firing opening and 13 the cab deck. The tender is provided with the customary coal bin 14 above the tender deck or floor 15. Fuel is transferred from the coal bin to the firebox by a Stoker indicated as a whole by the letter S.

The stoker comprises a transfer conveyor indicated as a whole at 16 and an elevator casing 17. The former is preferably, although not necessary, entirely disposed beneath the locomotive and tender decks 13 and 15 respectively, and includes a rearward trough portion 18 mounted. on the tender as is well understood in the art to receive fuel from `the coal bin 14. From the trough portion the fuel is advanced forwardly through the transfer conveyor by the screw 19 which is driven at its rearward end through gearing, not shown, in the housing 20 from the shaft 21 extending from the motor 22. This motor imparts continuous rotary motion to the screw. Y

The elevator casing 17 comprises the mouth portion 23 communicating with the firing opening 12 at or above the deck 13 and the rearwardly and downwardly inclined portion terminating 45 in the fuel chamber 24 which receives fuel from the forward end of the transfer conveyor 16.

Means for distributing the fuel is disposed at the mouth portion 23 of the casing. This means comprises a horizontally positioned distributor 5G plate 25 at its rearward end attached in any suitable manner to the casing and a vertically disposed distributor head 26 mounted rearward of the plate 25 and having a portion extending above the level of the plate, which extended por- 55 tion is provided with any desired number 0f jet openings 27 communicating with pressure uid supply passages as at 28 for discharging a propelling blast of air or steam across the distributor plate.

Fuel is raised from the chamber 24 to a point 60 above and thence onto the distributing means by the osciilatable lifter 30 which in effect forms a pivoted licor portion of the casing interposed between the chamber 24 and the distributing means. A rocker shaft 31 xed in the lifter and 65 journalled at its ends as at 32, 32aJ in the casing sidewalls forms a pivotal support for the lifter intermediate the forward and rearward ends of its fuel receiving table 33. The axis of the shaft 31 is disposed slightly rearward of and above the top of the distributor head 26 whereby when the lifter is raised to its upper position as indicated by the conventional showing the forward edge of the lifter 30 is positioned immediately forward of` the head to guide fuel forward thereof onto the distributor plate 25. When the lifter is in such position its arcuate skirt 34 prevents loss of fuel from the chamber 24.

. Suitable mechanism is employed for oscillating the lifter 30 about the axis of its rocker shaft 31. For this purpose a crank arm 35 on the rocker shaft 31 is connected by the connecting rod 36 to a crank arm 37 mounted on the gear shaft 38 of the gearing 39 which gearing is driven from the motor 22 through the drive shaft 40. Hence the lifter 30 and the screw 19 are driven from a common source of power.

The crank arms 35 and 37 and ,the connecting rod 36 are so 'arranged that the lifter 30 is in the position illustrated when at the end of its oscillating movement in a downward direction to receive fuel from the chamber 24, and from the aforesaid position it swings upwardly to the position indicated conventionally by the dot and dash lines to raise the fuel onto the distributing means. When in the maximum upper position the fuel receiving table 33 of the lifter is inclined upwardly and rearwardly withrespect to the distributor head 26 at an angle greater than the angle of repose of the fuel. There fore, when the lifter is in this position the fuel will roll downwardly and forwardly from the lifter onto the distributor plate 25 into the zone of action of the blast from the distributor head 26.

The axis of the pivotal mounting of the lifter being disposed intermediate the front and rear ends of the table 33 and slightly rearward of and above the distributor head 26 together with inclining the table 33 when in its upper position at an angle greater than the angle of repose of the fuel insures delivery of the fuel from the lifter downwardly onto the distributing means.

Thus it will be seen the invention provides a stoker wherein an oscillatable fuel lifter serves as the sole means for raising fuel from a source of supply such as the chamber 24 or the conveyor 19 forwardly and upwardly to a point above, and delivering the fuel downwardly onto a distributing means which acts to project the fuel into a rebox.

I claim:

1. In a stoker, a distributor member, distributing means for projecting fuel from said member, a conveyor disposed in a plane below said distributor member for advancing fuel from a source of supply toward said member, and an oscillatable lifter interposed between said conveyor and said member, said oscillatable lifter being arranged to receive fuel from said conveyor in one extreme position of its path and in the other extreme position of its path inclined at an angle greater than the angle of repose of the fuel on said lifter whereby fuel will fall by gravity onto said distributor member into the zone of action of said distributing means.

2. In a Stoker, a distributor plate, a distributor head disposed rearward of said plate and having a portion extending above the level thereof, said portion provided with openings for discharging a blast of pressure fluid over said plate, a conveyor disposed in a plane below said plate for advancingY fuel from a source of supply toward the plate, and an oscillatable lifter interposed between said conveyor and said plate, said oscillatable lifter being arranged to receive fuel from said conveyor in one extreme position of its path and in the other extremeposition of its path inclined at an angle greater than the angle of repose of the fuel on said lifter whereby fuel will fall by gravity onto said distributor Aplate into the Zone of action of the blast from said distributor head.

3. In a Stoker, a distributor plate, a distributor head disposed rearward of said plate and having a portion extending above the level thereof, said portion provided with openings for discharging a blast of pressure uid over said platea conveyor disposed in a plane below said plate for advancing fuel from a source of supply toward the plate, and an oscillatable lifter interposed between said conveyor and said plate, said oscillatable lifter being arranged to receive fuel from said conveyor in one extreme position of its path and in the other extreme position of its path inclined at an angle greater than the angle of repose of the fuel on said lifter whereby fuel will fall by gravity onto said distributor plate into the zone of action of the blast from said distributor head, the axis of said lifter lpositioned above and rearward of said head. v 4. In a stoker, a distributor plate, a distributor head disposed rearward of said plate and having a portion extending above the level thereof, said portion provided with openings for discharging a blast of pressure fluid over said plate, a conveyor disposed in a plane below said plate for advancing fuel from a source of supply toward the plate, and an oscillatable lifter interposed between said conveyor and said plate, said oscillatable lifter being arranged to receive fuel from said conveyor in one extreme position of its path and in the other extreme position of its path inclined at an angle greater than the angle of repose of the fuel on said lifter whereby fuel will fall by gravity onto said distributor plate into the zone of action of the blast from said distributor head, the axis of said lifter positioned above and rearward of said head and intermediate the ends of the lifter.

5. In a Stoker, a distributing means, a fuel receiving chamber disposed rearward of and below said distributing means, a conveyor delivering fuel to said chamber, and an oscillatable lifter interposed between said chamber and said means, said oscillatable lifter being arranged to Vreceive fuel from said conveyor in one extreme position of its path and in the other extreme position of its path inclined at an angle greater than the angle of repose of the fuel on said lifter whereby fuel will fall by gravity into the Zone of action of said distributing means, the lifter being pivoted intermediate its ends and the axis of its pivot being positioned above said distributing means.

6. In a stoker, a distributing means, a fuel receiving chamber disposed rearward of and below lsaid distributing means, Va conveyor delivering vfuel to said chamber, an oscillatable lifter interposed between said chamber and said means, said oscillatable lifter'being arranged to receive fuel from said conveyor in one extreme position of its path and in the other extreme position of its path inclined at an angle greater than the angle of repose of the fuel on said lifter whereby fuel will fall by gravity into the Zone of `action of said distributing means, the lifter being pivoted intermediate its ends and the axis ,of its pivot being positioned above said distributing means, and actuating mechanism for said lifter.

'7. In a stoker, a distributor member, distributing means for projecting fuel from said member, a conveyor disposed in a plane below said distributor member for advancing fuel from a source of supply toward said member, a forwardly and lupwardly inclined casing communicating with and arranged to receive fuel from said conveyor and an oscillatable lifter interposed between said distributor member and said inclined casing arranged to receive fuel from said casing, said lifter in one extreme position of its path having its fuel receiving surface inclined substantially in line with the bottom of said casing and in the other extreme position of its path inclined at an angle greater than the angle of repose of the fuel on said fuel receiving surface whereby fuel will fall by gravity onto said distributor member into the sone of action of said distributing means.

V8. In a stoker, a distributor member, distributing means for projecting fuel from said member, a conveyor disposed in a plane below said distributor member for advancing fuel from a source of supply toward said member, a forwardly and upwardly inclined casing communicating with and arranged to receive fuel from said conveyor and an oscillatable lifter interposed between said distributor member and said inclined casing arranged to receive fuel from said casing, said lifter in one extreme position of its path having its fuel receiving surface inclined substantially in line with the bottom of said casing `and in the other extreme position of its path inclined at an angle greater than the angle of repose of the fuel on said fuel receiving surface whereby fuel will fall by gravity onto said distributor member into the zone of action of said distributing means, said lifter having a depending skirt arranged to form a closure for said inclined casing in said last named position of said lifter.

E. ARCHER TURNER.

Mil 

